Due to air in autumn/winter on BBC1, this 5-part drama features a never-seen before London. Set in 1941, fourteen months after the British lost the Battle of Britain, the city is under full Nazi-occupation and London life is being assimilated into the ways of the Third Reich. The design of the show was a huge undertaking not only to turn modern day London back in time, but to change the fundamental aesthetics of the city we all know and understand. The aim was to ‘de-brand’ the city – telephone boxes became yellow, street signs were bilingual, the London Underground became the U-Bahn and money, newspapers and vehicles had the hallmarks of Hitler.

Graham Sutherland

Production design for the show centred on the look of occupation and ‘war-chitecture’, driven not by slavish historical recreation but a realistic Nazi-aesthetic that would have progressed from the occupations of Paris and Poland and the designs of Albert Speer. The colour palette was important to consider to both avoid the stereotypical grey-brown tones of the 40s period and the cliched red of the swastika flag, so we started with Graham Sutherland’s WWII paintings and his striking use of acid yellow and sickly, gaseous greens. The yellow, a key colour in the urban make-up of Berlin, needed to have a greater presence in our London so we started with re-designing the classic red phone box before moving on to the 110 sets in the show.

The Occupation & War-chitecture

Yellow Phone Box: Concept Artwork

Int. Phone Box Concept Design

Set Still

Production Still

Occupation of Britain Logo

“Sticklebrick” Concept Design

“Sticklebrick Sentry Post” Concept Design

“Sticklebrick” Painted Design

Tank Jacks

Tank Jacks Concept

German Posters

German Graphic Design

Character Spaces

Barbara’s Apartment built on location at Langleybury House.

Archer’s Flat built on location at Langleybury House:

Peter Thomas Antiques built on location at Langleybury House:

Various domestic interiors built on location:

Int. Harry’s House, shot at Langleybury House

Int. Harry’s House, shot at Langleybury House

Int. Farmhouse

Int. Farmhouse

Int. John Spode’s Bedsit, shot at Langleybury House

Int. John Spode’s Bedsit, shot at Langleybury House

Int. John Spode’s Bedsit, shot at Langleybury House

Int. Luxury Apartment Production Still

Int. Luxury Apartment Set Still

Int. Luxury Apartment Production Still

Int. Artist’s Studio

Int. Artist’s Studio

Ext/Int. Archer’s Cheam Family Home: Built in G Stage at Shepperton:

Int. Cheam House

Int. Cheam House

Plate Shot

VFX Concept Artwork

All the scenery from the domestic sets built on location at Langleybury House, Watford, was recycled and used to create the main structure of Archer’s bombed out former family home. The set was then submerged in 6 inches of water.

The World of the Police

Ext. Scotland Yard: Location: Blythe House, West Kensington

Concept artwork

Concept artwork

Set dressing on location

Set Still with VFX Concept Artwork

Set Still: plate shot

Set Still with VFX Concept Artwork

SCOTLAND YARD – CID OFFICE

Empty location: Holborn

Empty location: Holborn

Int. CID Office – concept artwork

Int. CID Office – concept artwork

Int. CID Office – concept artwork

SCOTLAND YARD – HUTH’S OFFICE

Empty Location: Holborn

Empty Location: Holborn

Initial Character Board

Int. Huth’s Office – Early concept artwork

Int. Huth’s Office – Early concept artwork

Int. Huth’s Office – Early concept artwork

Int. Huth’s Office – Early concept artwork

Int. Huth’s Office – Early concept artwork

Int. Huth’s Office – Early concept artwork

SCOTLAND YARD – KELLERMAN’S OFFICE

The same room on location used for Huth’s Office (see above) was transformed over two days into a new office set:

Concept Artwork

Concept Artwork

Concept Artwork

Initial Character Board

Scotland Yard Reception Desk Design

Production Still

Production Still

Scotland Yard Reception Concept

London

Ext. Shepherd’s Market: build on location in Bank, City of London:

Early concept artwork

Early concept artwork

Early concept artwork

Set Still

Early concept artwork

Production Still

London Underground Station: on location at Aldwych Tube Station

Int. Station Concourse

Int. Station Concourse

Int. Station Platform

Int. Station Concourse

The Streets of London: Locations & VFX

The relationship between the design department and the VFX company Nvizible was crucial in continuing the aesthetic of an occupied city. We had a full-time concept artist in the art department who worked up images of the world we were trying to capture and then edited production stills with a collage of elements.